The Perfect Pantry®

Other People's Pantries #182

From Veee, in Austin, Texas:

My pantry is long and narrow so it isn't easy to take pictures but I hope you can get the idea. I have 5 shelves plus the floor along one wall. And one shelf above a clothes rod on the end.

Recipe for cardamom-brown sugar snickerdoodles cookies

What I love about snickerdoodles: even if you're not a baker, and I am not, you always have all of the ingredients you need to bake these cookies right in your pantry. Cream of tartar might not be in constant rotation, but you know you have it somewhere in the rear of your spice rack, and even if it's almost ancient, like mine, it will give these cookies the bit of puff they need. The cardamom in this recipe lends the cookies a grown-up air, but kids will love them, too. We sprinkled ours with a pinch of extra cardamom after they came out of the oven. If you like your cookies sweeter, top the cookies before baking with demerara or another large-crystal sugar.

Recipe for salmon and quinoa patties with lemon-yogurt sauce

Here at the log house, we usually eat family style, serving ourselves from communal bowls and platters. However, every now and then, I like to fancy it up a bit. I don't mean that the food gets fussy or complicated; rather, I take an extra minute or two with presentation, even when it's just for my husband Ted and me. (How romantic is that?) We love salmon and quinoa patties burger size on a bun, with the lemon-yogurt sauce slathered on top, but this time, I used a 2-1/2 inch round pastry cutter to form them into delicate appetizer-size bites. Don't they look pretty? Quinoa takes the place of breadcrumbs, and cod or tilapia can stand in for the salmon. If you're making a big batch for a party, form them ahead of time and refrigerate, then bake right before serving.

Recipe for vegan butternut squash and chickpea stew

When the aroma of cinnamon fills the house, I follow my nose to the kitchen, expecting to discover muffins or baked apples in the oven. Sometimes, the intoxicating smell of cinnamon comes from something even better: a savory, Moroccan-inspired vegan butternut squash and chickpea stew in a tomato sauce infused with cinnamon and coriander. A hint of smoky-hot harissa, the assertive North African pepper paste, balances the sweetness of the squash, and seems absolutely necessary here. (Kathy, my spicy-food-averse cooking assistant, loved the gentle heat, so you know it's not too spicy.) Make this stew up to three days ahead, or freeze it; like most stews, it's even better on the second day. Serve over couscous or rice, as the centerpiece of a vegan meal, or as a side dish with grilled lamb or fish.